Iván Holguín López / @ivan_basketball
The senior men’s basketball team is looking for a ticket to the 2023 World Cup. Today it will face Argentina, one of the heaviest rivals on the continent, starting at 8:40 pm (Venezuela time). one of the most frequent contenders in the history of Venezuela.
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Both teams arrive with a 2-0 record in this second FIBA window, so it is likely that this duel will determine —temporarily— the team that leads the group A classification until the third window to be played in June. But, what is Argentina like? Who are its strongest rivals? And how has the historical transit of Venezuela against the albicelestes been? These are questions whose answer we will reveal little by little.
The history against Argentina
As they are two of the strongest teams in South America, it is normal that Venezuela and Argentina have faced each other on many occasions throughout history, many of them in defining matches or even in international competitions.
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Since the first official clash between the two, which dates back to the South American Basketball Championship of 1955, criollos and southerners have met on a total of 40 occasions, with Venezuela winning 10 of these duels for 30 Argentine victories.
The last confrontation between the two took place on February 22, 2020 at the Poliedro de Caracas and ended with a victory for Argentina by a score of 73-72. But, in their last clash in southern lands, Venezuela won the game —the first as a visitor— 74-68.
But, possibly the most important victory in the history of Venezuela, the final of the Americup, precisely occurred against Argentina by a score of 76-71.
How does Argentina play?
The Argentine team, commanded by an old acquaintance from Venezuela, Néstor “Che” García, arrives first in group A, with a new generation of players and a new technical project started in the best way. Two victories precisely against Paraguay by scores of: 93-67 and 82-43.
The albicelestes showed a high level in the first window and currently average 87.5 points per game, they were also one of the best rebounding teams in the first window, capturing 42.5 rebounds per game (6 more than Venezuela), in addition to showing a great game collective giving a total of 21 assists on average.
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The albicelestes had as statistical leaders in points scored Nicolás Romano with 17.5 points; in rebounds to Agustín Barreiro with 6.5 rebounds and in assists to a history of the national team like Carlos Delfino with 5.5 assists.
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Argentina: a bittersweet rival for Venezuela